I went to visit the Yuba Sutter Center for Spiritual Awakening, a local branch of an international organization, The United Church of Religious Science. They are an amicable group, and certainly interested in doing good, but not a perfect fit for me. With strong trappings of Christianity, and profound, and fundamental contradictions in their doctrine. I've long longed for a group of community-minded people with sensible ideas about religion. These folks are good people, and definitely open-minded, but their practice is too formal for me.
I came home after this and watched the dogs play. Please to enjoy. This is more my speed of religious practice. Beyond all of the learning and theorizing and good intention, enjoying the moment is the kind of practice that makes life good.
There are wonderful resources for investigation of the beyond within - Carl Hall's Philosophy of Religion class at Yuba College was certainly both engrossing and edifying, and I have met individuals with whom I have shared profound conversations. I try to post here occasionally, but have yet to illicit a response. I enjoy reading and listening to Alan Watts. These are all good, but I have hoped to find a group with whom to meet regularly, with whom to talk about religious ideas, with whom to perform community service.
Perhaps I'll still find such a group. Perhaps I'll forge one myself. Perhaps I'll just get over the impulse. We'll see.
